7.4 PLANNING AND EVALUATION Program planning and evaluation activities are essential to the continued success of the Arizona Cancer Center (AZCC), and is critical in achieving our highest priorities. To that end, the leadership of the Arizona Cancer Center strives to maintain a culture and an environment which promotes the discovery, translation, and delivery of services which is necessary in order to meet our mission. In that endeavor, the continuous planning and evaluation of our activities is necessary. Since we are a matrix center in a highly complex environment, we employ many different mechanisms for receiving advice and contributions from our members to ensure maximum input and communication. The AZCC utilizes six formal mechanisms and one informal mechanism for program planning and evaluation. The formal methods are as follows: a. External Scientific Advisory Board; b. Retreats; c. Individual program meetings; d. Arizona Cancer Center Director's Meeting; e. Arizona Cancer Center Executive Committee (campus-wide advisory board); f. Cancer Center Board (state-wide lay advisory board); The informal method is the intake of day-to-day suggestions by individual AZCC members based on their requirements for conducting basic, translational, or clinical science. Each of these mechanisms and the help they have provided is detailed in the narrative section. An annual budget of $85,000 is requested for the continuation of this effort.